Gaming machines, such as slot machines placed in wagering/betting environments are often characterized as being “hot” or “cold.” U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2008/0026822 (Walker et al.) describes various metrics that may be used for determining whether a gaming machine is hot or cold, such as coins paid per unit time, the number of winning outcomes per unit time, the number of consecutive outcomes of a particular type (wins, losses), and the percentage of all wagers paid out as winnings (e.g., per unit time).
Standard slot machines do not technically get hot or cold because the odds of hitting a winning combination are determined by a random number generator (RNG) contained in the machine's software and is exactly the same with every spin. Stated another way, a standard slot machine is not more likely to hit a winning combination if it hasn't paid out a jackpot in a long time, nor is it less likely to hit a winning combination shortly after hitting one.